The 2019 Topps flagship baseball card set was highly anticipated by collectors due to the brand’s iconic status in the hobby. While the base cards were readily available in packs, boxes, and blasters on store shelves upon the set’s March 2019 release date, several scarce parallels and short-printed variations instantly became highly sought after by collectors. Within weeks of hitting the market, some of the rarest 2019 Topps cards emerged as highly valuable commodities in the collecting community.
One of the biggest “chases” from the 2019 Topps set was the prized Mike Trout autograph card, numbered to only /5 copies. Trout’s dominant on-field performances have made him one of the most valuable modern athletes to possess in card form. With his autograph so scarce in the flagship Topps set compared to the thousands of autographed PSA/Beckett authenticated and graded versions available from high-end products, finding one of the elusive Trout autographs in a retail pack took an extraordinary level of luck. Within a month of release, PSA 10 and BGS 9.5 gem mint examples began trade hands for thousands of dollars on the secondary market.
Another scarce Trout variation came in the form of his ultra-short printed “Bat Down” photo negative foilboard parallel numbered to only /25. Showcasing an action shot of Trout with his bat facing downward during his swing, the design stood out amongst the traditional mugshot style poses of the base cards. Inquire into one of these rare negatives now would likely fetch a four-figure price tag or more from a serious Trout PC collector.
Beyond Trout, one of the most popular rookie cards in the 2019 Topps set belonged to Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. While Ohtani’s base rookie did not garner big premiums due to appearing around the 150 card mark in the checklist, variations proved much harder to uncover. The prized Ohtani negative photo variation parallel matched the Trout negative design but was even more limited at /15 copies. This ultra-short print parallel shot up the want lists of every Ohtani PC holder but proved virtually impossible to track down in the wild due to the incredibly low printing quantity.
Some of the more condition sensitive parallels also saw heightened values once grading commenced. The sparkly Topps Chrome refractors featuring swirling holographic tones emerged as a definite subset hit. Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., and Eloy Jimenez attracted strong early bidding wars for pristine PSA 10 and BGS Gem Mint copies of their refractors due to both their on-field potential as well as nostalgia for the retro Chrome designs that once dominated card aisles in the 1990s. Variations numbered as low as /99, /75 or even /50 provided much improved scarcity versus the standard base refractors.
Popularity of rookies always created strong enthusiasm amongst collectors for first Bowman cards as well. Topps included a special “Heritage” mini set highlighting rising prospects within the flagship design. Short prints like Bo Bichette at /150 and Dustin May at /99 stirred significant buzz, while even harder to find airbrushed red parallel versions numbered to /25 aroused fervor in the collecting community.
Autograph cards in general held immense intrigue due to the inherent scarcity created by capturing players’ actual signatures through various on-card and memorabilia authentication methods. Beyond Trout, 21st century stars like Mookie Betts, Christian Yelich, and Cody Bellinger offered immense thrill at finding their on-card John Hancocks at short printed levels like /75, /50 or even ultra-short /25.
For team collectors, location-specific parallels also presented a fun layer of scarcity. Regional inserts highlighting hometown heroes for Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and other franchises popped up at small numbered subsets. Likewise, rare “City” jersey memorabilia cards snagged particular buzz amongst collectors endeared to certain metropolitan areas.
Even base rookie cards attracted enhanced attention in pristine, professionally graded “black label” quality. Tatis Jr., Pete Alonso, Yordan Alvarez and others emerged as early favorites that collected significant premiums once encapsulated and authenticated in flawless Gem Mint 10 condition according to SGC, PSA or BGS standards. The extremely tight quality controls associated with black label designations created a new height of rarity for already scarce first year cards.
In the years since release, many of these highly limited 2019 Topps parallels and short prints have exponentially grown in collector value as the careers and hype surrounding their featured players continues blossoming. Flagship rookies will remain a bedrock of the hobby for players who go on to achieve stardom or milestones, while one-of-one treasures autograph cards locked away in protective slabs take on an entirely new realm of desirability. Topps continues pushing design boundaries year after year to drive collecting interest, though the scarcest 2019 variations will surely endure as iconic trophies in collections for decades to come.
